Panda Review: Quick Expert Summary
Panda Dome is an antivirus suite with a lot of different features, pricing options, and high-quality cybersecurity protections. It’s got a decent malware scanner (which detected over 95% of the malware samples during my tests — including all spyware and ransomware files) and a real-time protection engine that caught 100% of the malware files I tested it with.
Panda Dome’s packages also have:
- Web protection.
- Performance optimization.
- VPN (virtual private network).
- Parental controls.
- Password manager.
- Gaming mode.
- Dark web monitoring.
- And more…
Panda also has a few extras that I haven’t seen from many other antiviruses, like:
- Rescue Kit — Removes malware from heavily infected and unresponsive PCs via a USB drive.
- File encryption — Locks your important files behind high-level encryption so they’re inaccessible to hackers and thieves.
- USB protection — Scans USB drives for malware.
Most of Panda’s features are good (and some of them, like the Rescue Kit, are excellent), but there are a couple of areas that need improvement. For example, Panda’s web protection detected less than 50% of the phishing sites I visited in my tests, the VPN is very limited and only comes with unlimited data on the most expensive plan, and the customer support is absolutely terrible.
I don’t think Panda can compete with some top competitors, but it’s a decent option for anyone looking for a full-featured, easy-to-use internet security suite. It offers a variety of packages for all budgets, and all of them are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
🏅 Overall Rank | #8 out of 74 antiviruses |
🔥 Firewall | ✅ |
🌐 VPN | ✅ (Unlimited data on Panda Dome Premium only) |
🎁 Free Plan | ✅ |
💵 Pricing | Starting at $19.20/year |
💰 Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days |
💻 Operating Systems | Windows, Android, Mac, iOS |
Panda Dome Full Review
Panda offers a decent (but not perfect) antivirus scanner, tons of features, and flexible pricing. It has an attractive user interface that displays all of its features and performed well in most of my tests. However, unlike top competitors such as Norton and Bitdefender, Panda wasn’t able to detect 100% of my malware samples.
Panda offers a free plan for Windows and Android and 4 paid options for all operating systems. There’s also a free version of the VPN on the iOS app. With the paid options, you can choose how many devices you want to cover (1, 3, 5, 10, or unlimited) and how many years to subscribe for — which makes it very easy for you to select the best plan for your needs and budget.
Panda Dome Security Features
Antivirus Scanner
Panda’s antivirus scanner has 3 scan options:
- Critical areas. Scans PC memory, current processes, and other areas where viruses usually hide.
- Full scan. Scans your entire PC.
- Custom scan. Scans specific files and folders.
The scan options are clear and the process is straightforward, but I found Panda’s scan times to be pretty inconsistent. The full scan was the worst — the first full scan I ran took 3 and a half hours to complete. When you consider that most top competitors (such as Norton and Bitdefender) can complete a full scan in under an hour, this is pretty bad. However, the second full scan took just over an hour, which is good, but unlike some antiviruses (including Norton), Panda doesn’t mark previously scanned files as safe in order to reduce future scan times.
The critical areas scan was better, completing in around 5 minutes — which is comparable to other top competitors like Norton and Avira whose quick scans take between 5 and 10 minutes.
I then tried Panda’s macOS antivirus scanner. The scanner worked well (catching the same amount of malware samples as it did on Windows), but I was disappointed with how slow it was. It took over 8 hours to finish the scan! Most competitors finished a scan in less than 2 hours. That said, I still think Panda for macOS is one of the best antiviruses for Macs in 2023 — but I would like to see faster scanning.
In addition to the regular scans, Panda also offers a cloud-based scanner named Panda Cloud Cleaner. This is a completely separate antivirus scanning engine that forms part of the Rescue Kit but is also available as a separate free download to non-Panda customers. It uses collective intelligence (cloud-based technology) to scan for more advanced threats and is designed primarily for emergency malware situations, when your device is already infected or non-responsive.
I was really pleased with the speed and results of the Panda Cloud Cleaner — it was much quicker than the regular antivirus scan. Theoretically, Panda’s main antivirus scanner should prevent you from ever needing this Cloud Cleaner, but to be honest I’m still not sure why Panda doesn’t just include this as part of its regular antivirus scan, like Avira does. On the other hand, I think it’s really good that Panda has this advanced cloud-based scanner, even if it’s not a part of the main antivirus engine.
Rescue Kit (Windows only)

Panda’s Rescue Kit is a unique tool that lets users save infected PCs that won’t start (or are super slow) due to malware. Basically, you create a “rescue USB drive” on a working computer, plug it into the computer that’s not working, and use the Cloud Scanner to remove malware from it.
I tested the Rescue Kit and was quite pleased with the results. While I was testing Panda Dome, my co-worker accidentally downloaded some malicious files that installed multiple pieces of malware onto his gaming PC. He was barely able to boot up his PC, and when he did, it was so slow and buggy that it was essentially unusable.
I used Panda’s Rescue Kit to “rescue” my co-worker’s PC and easily remove these viruses. The process was surprisingly simple. You just need to insert a USB drive into a healthy PC to install the software, which only took a few minutes. Once I’d done this, I inserted the USB into my co-worker’s PC and was immediately able to boot, scan, and disinfect his PC. In total, it took around 20 minutes for the Rescue Kit to completely save this infected computer. I was honestly impressed that this tool actually managed to detect and remove all of the malware!
Most other antiviruses don’t include a feature like this (Kaspersky and ESET are the only competitors I can think of that do) and it’s completely free, so Panda’s Rescue Kit is a huge plus point for me.
File Encryption & File Shredder (Windows only)
Panda uses a third party for this feature: Password Depot — a password manager that also offers file encryption tools. Once set up, I simply right-clicked on the files I wanted to encrypt, selected Password Depot > Encrypt, and chose an encryption password to secure the files.
There are also options to:
- Delete the original files after they were encrypted.
- Create a self-extracting archive, so people who don’t have Password Depot can also decrypt the files.
- Store the specific file decryption password in the Password Depot password manager.
I was also able to completely and permanently delete sensitive files from my PC using File Shredder — meaning the deleted files couldn’t be accessed by hackers using advanced file recovery methods. This was useful as I had a few Microsoft Word docs that contained some of my account passwords. It was just as easy to erase these files as it was to encrypt them — I right-clicked on the Word doc file, selected Password Depot > Erase, and then clicked Erase on the popup window.
Both the file encryption and file shredding tools are very useful for keeping personal files private and making sure that no one can ever get a hold of them. Avira offers something similar, and other antiviruses (like Norton) often include “X” GB of secure file storage, but Panda’s versions are particularly easy and useful, and I’d really like to see more competing brands include similar tools in their packages.
PC Cleanup (Windows only)
Panda’s device cleaning tools aren’t the best on the market, but they’re still useful. When testing Panda’s PC Cleanup, I had 4 options:
- Free up space on my PC’s hard drive.
- Organize programs that launch on startup using Boot Manager.
- Defragment my hard drive.
- Schedule a regular system cleanup.
The hard drive cleaning was pretty useful — it automatically finds and removes fragments of old files and programs, Windows temporary files, and known log files. And it made it easy for me to delete my browser’s history, temporary files, and cookies that were taking up space. It took just 60 seconds to find all the junk I could delete, and I recovered over 1.2 GB of space on my hard drive.
The Boot Manager is also useful for keeping your boot-up sequence fast. It allows you to see all the programs that are set to launch at startup and disable any you don’t need. Windows’s Task Manager basically does the same thing — however, Panda’s boot manager also alerts you every time a new program installs as part of your computer’s startup sequence, which makes it easier to keep your boot sequence optimized.
The Defragmenter is used to improve the organization and speed of hard disks. It “defragmented” my 128 GB SSD hard drive in approximately 20 seconds, but I didn’t notice any significant boost in my PC performance as it already runs pretty fast. But on the whole, defragmenting works best on older PCs and hard drives; newer machines generally don’t see much improvement from this.
Overall, Panda’s cleanup tools aren’t anything new — the in-built Windows tools cover the majority of it already, plus similar (and to be honest, better) clean-up tools are also found in lots of other antivirus packages, such as TotalAV and Avira. That said, Panda’s clean-up tools are easy to use and they can definitely make your computer run faster and smoother.
VPN (Virtual Private Network)
Panda’s VPN is powered by Hotspot Shield — which is one of the most popular VPN providers on the market today, and it’s even included in Panda’s free plan.
However, I’m not a massive fan of Panda’s VPN. For one, on all except the most expensive plan, Panda’s VPN includes just 150 MB/day, and you can’t even select the server you want — you’re just automatically connected to your nearest server. This means you have no control over your virtual location, and there’s no guarantee you’ll be on the fastest server just because it’s the closest.
Plus, 150 MB / day is just not enough for much more than the most basic browsing. Other antiviruses, such as Norton, include unlimited VPN data plus lots of other functionality and options, which is way more useful.
Panda’s top-tier plan, Panda Dome Premium, is the only one to include unlimited browsing data, plus it comes with the ability to choose your server. However, Panda’s VPN is still lacking in other essential features — such as a kill switch, which protects your privacy if the VPN connection is lost. Without a kill switch, your real IP address will be exposed if the VPN is disconnected, meaning neither your IP nor online activity will be protected.
During my speed tests, Panda’s VPN didn’t perform well. The auto-connection significantly slowed down my connection, and there were also incredibly high ping times (the time it takes for a server to respond to a connection request).
Here’s my normal internet speed:
Here’s the VPN with Panda’s auto-connection:
Interestingly, the VPN didn’t affect my upload speed too much, but it’s pretty ridiculous for a VPN to slow download speed that much with such a high ping time.
Since I was using the most expensive plan, I also tested the VPN with a server of my choosing. Here’s the VPN with the server nearest me:
The ping was still unreasonably high, but the download speed was much better. But it destroyed my upload speed. These are extremely inconsistent speeds, and this VPN is nowhere near as fast as standalone VPNs like ExpressVPN or ProtonVPN.
On the plus side, Panda’s VPN does have some nice privacy features. Its policy clearly states that Panda doesn’t log any information, such as IP addresses or browsing history — both on its free and premium VPN — so that’s good!
Overall, Panda’s VPN is okay, but it’s not great. It lacks additional features that I consider essential, like a kill switch. A lot of other top antiviruses include VPNs, and they all performed much better in tests, in terms of speed, security, and overall functionality. However, if you only need a basic VPN for occasional use, Panda’s will be fine, and I like that it’s included in every plan — including Panda Free Antivirus.
Additional Features
Panda Dome comes with a huge range of additional features, including:
- Password manager. Securely stores passwords, generates new strong passwords, auto-saves and auto-fills your passwords, and checks password strength and security.
- Anti-theft tools. Tracks location of Windows, Android, and iOS devices. Android users get lock and wipe features, too.
- Data shield. Stops apps from accessing certain files and protects against ransomware.
- Parental controls. Provides basic content filtering options.
- Web protection. Detects and blocks phishing sites and malicious links.
- Dark web scanner. Checks your email against known breaches and alerts you if your details have been compromised.
- Virtual keyboard. On-screen pop-up keyboard which safeguards keystrokes from potential keyloggers.
- USB protection. Scans USBs for malware.
- And more…
Some of Panda’s additional features are pretty good. I especially like the anti-theft tools, which include smartwatch compatibility for Android, so you can locate your phone from a Wear OS watch and remotely lock it. The anti-theft tools also have an anti-theft motion sensor and thief photo capture. The iOS and PC anti-theft features only include location tracking, but it was very accurate when I tested it on my iPhone.
I also like Panda’s password manager. It’s not as feature-rich as the best standalone password managers, but it has all of the essentials — such as unlimited password storage, a password generator, auto-fill and auto-save, encrypted secure notes, and multi-device sync. It’s missing advanced features like password sharing and emergency access, but overall it’s a pretty good option for anyone looking for a simple but secure tool for password management. You can read more about Panda’s password manager here.
The dark web scanner is another decent feature. It’s relatively basic in that it only scans your email address against known and published breaches, but it alerts you when a new breach is exposed, which is very useful. It comes with all Panda Dome plans, including the free one — which is impressive. Not all antiviruses include dark web monitoring and those that do rarely include it for free.
Unfortunately, some of the other additional features are a little disappointing. I like the virtual keyboard — it makes Panda a good option if you’re looking for an antivirus with keylogging protection, as it safeguards your keystrokes from potential keyloggers. However, the keys are very small, which makes it quite hard to use.
The parental controls are also far more basic than I’d like on the Windows version, with content filtering but little else: no time scheduling, social media monitoring, or other features that you get with the likes of Norton and Bitdefender. That said, the mobile apps have far better parental controls, which include GPS tracking, app and game blocking, time controls, and a panic button. I just don’t understand why they’ve kept the Windows controls so basic — especially as it’s necessary for your child to have a separate Windows login before you can activate the controls on their mobile devices.
However, the worst feature by far is Safe Browsing — Panda’s web protection. It detected less than 50% of the phishing sites and malicious links in my tests — even obvious ones like fake PayPal and Amazon login pages managed to bypass Panda’s Safe Browsing feature. If web protection is a concern, I’d check out Bitdefender or McAfee, which both have excellent web protection features.
Overall, Panda’s additional features are hit-or-miss. The anti-phishing protection is the only feature I felt needed serious improvement, but even those that are useful — such as the password manager, anti-theft tools, and parental controls — are generally less useful than those offered by top competitors such as Norton and McAfee. Still, I do like that Panda has such a wide range of features available, and some of its features are pretty unique, which does make it stand out.
Panda Dome Plans and Pricing
Panda is a bit expensive in comparison to other brands, particularly if you’re looking to protect more than 1 device. All of Panda’s plans are available for 1 device as standard, with options to upgrade to 3, 5, 10, or unlimited devices. Most other brands like Norton and Bitdefender cover a larger number of devices as standard, especially with the higher-tier packages — which makes Panda less competitive.
On the other hand, Panda does offer some pretty sizable discounts on the first year of protection. It offers monthly, 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year plans, all of which come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try any Panda package totally risk-free.
Here’s an overview of Panda Dome’s plans:
Panda Dome Free | Panda Dome Essential | Panda Dome Advanced | Panda Dome Complete | Panda Dome Premium | |
Platforms | Windows, Android, Mac | Windows, Android, Mac, iOS | Windows, Android, Mac, iOS | Windows, Android, Mac, iOS | Windows, Android, Mac, iOS |
Price | Free | $19.20 / year | $22.80 / year | $30.10 / year | $40.20 / year |
Number of device licenses | 1 | 1, 3, 5, 10, or unlimited | 1, 3, 5, 10, or unlimited | 1, 3, 5, 10, or unlimited | 1, 3, 5, 10, or unlimited |
Malware scanning & removal | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Real-time protection | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Ransomware protection | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Web protection | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Firewall | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Wi-Fi protection | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Password manager | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
VPN (150 MB/day) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
VPN (unlimited data) | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Parental controls (website filtering) | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
External device scanner | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Gaming mode | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
PC cleaner | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
24/7 customer support | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Try Panda Dome Risk-Free for 1 Month
Panda Free Antivirus — Good Free Antivirus
Panda’s free antivirus is probably one of the best free PC antiviruses that I’ve tested. It includes:
- Real-time antivirus protection (Windows only).
- Rescue Kit.
- Gaming mode.
- USB malware protection.
- VPN (with 150 MB of data per day).
- Dark web scanner.
Panda includes some great features in its free plan. It’s very rare for real-time scanning to be included for free — this is almost always a paid-only feature with other antiviruses. The VPN and dark web monitoring are also very useful and less-common free features, even if they do come with limitations.
I was also really happy to find that Panda included the Rescue Kit in the free version. This is a really great unique feature that has the potential to save a heavily corrupted computer. To offer this for free is a really nice touch.
That said, Panda’s free plan is missing a lot of important and useful features, including the file encrypter, ransomware protection, data shield, and parental controls, but it’s still a great free plan.
Panda Dome Essential — Most Basic Premium Plan
Panda’s Dome Essential package has all the free plan’s features plus a few extras. On top of everything described above you’ll also get:
- Real-time antivirus protection (Windows, Mac, and Android devices).
- Wi-Fi network protection.
- Firewall (Windows only).
Dome Essential for 1 device is fairly cheap in comparison to other brands’ basic packages (it’s just $19.20 / year). However, basic packages from competitors like McAfee do offer a couple more features for a similar price (especially with first-year discounts). But if you’re looking for a basic premium antivirus package, Panda Dome Essential is not a bad option.
Panda Dome Advanced — Good Value Plan
Panda Dome Advanced costs $22.80 / year for 1 device and includes all of the features in the Dome Essential package as well as:
- Ransomware and advanced threat protection.
- Personal data protection when shopping & banking.
- Parental controls.
- Data shield.
This package does offer additional tools, including ransomware protection, but it’s only a little cheaper than Norton’s 360 Standard package — which includes more features like dark web monitoring, a password manager, and a VPN with unlimited browsing data. However, this basic Norton package doesn’t include parental controls, so if you have a family, Panda Dome Advanced might be a better option for you.
Panda Dome Complete — Best Value Plan
This package has all of the features in the Dome Advanced package, plus:
- PC optimization tools.
- Password manager.
- File encryption.
- File shredding.
This is Panda’s best plan, with all of its most useful features. Panda Dome Complete adds the basic password manager which does a good job at securing passwords, and it also includes the excellent file encryption and shredding tools for keeping all of your sensitive files safe.
At $30.10 / year for 1 device, Panda Dome Complete is a similar price to Norton’s 360 Deluxe, but Norton offers complete protection and unlimited VPN data for up to 5 devices. That said, Panda Dome Complete has a number of extras (such as the Rescue Kit, virtual keyboard, and file encryptor and shredder) that Norton lacks. You can also upgrade to cover 3, 5, 10, or an unlimited number of devices for a fairly reasonable supplement, and all of Panda’s plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Panda Dome Premium — Most Advanced Plan
Apart from the previously mentioned features, Panda Dome Premium includes:
- Premium VPN. With unlimited browsing data and the option to choose your server.
- Update manager. Updates OS and scans for vulnerabilities.
- 24/7 premium customer support. With 24/7 remote tech support.
These are nice features, but the plan is more expensive than those offered by competing brands; 1 year of protection for just 1 device costs $40.20 / year. As a comparison, Bitdefender’s top plan, Bitdefender Premium Security, costs $49.99 / year and covers 10 devices.
Panda Dome Premium does include an unlimited-data VPN, but as I mentioned earlier, the VPN is not the best. And while 24/7 customer support is usually useful, my experience with it wasn’t good. And honestly, I think 24/7 support should automatically be included with all plans anyway, like with Norton.
That said, this plan does have a lot of features that are worthwhile. The OS vulnerability scan for example is a particularly nice addition to the overall antivirus package. And with a 30-day money-back guarantee, you can try it out for a month totally risk-free and see if it’ll suit your needs.
Panda Dome Ease of Use and Setup
Panda is one of the easiest antiviruses I’ve ever used. Both advanced users and people without much technical experience will be able to make full use of all of the additional features. The installation only took a minute, and I was pleased to see a pleasant natural landscape on the app’s home screen (Panda rotates between a handful of relaxing images each time you open the app).
However, I don’t like that Panda’s display has so many buttons — it can get confusing trying to locate a specific feature since the buttons don’t show any labels by default. There is a button in the bottom right corner that adds descriptions — but it’s frustrating having to click this. Especially when you consider that not every user will know to check for it.
But once I had everything set up right, I found the app easy to use. I never struggled to start a full system scan, turn real-time protection on, run the device optimization tools, or play around with all the customization features. Some of the more advanced features also have clear explanations which show you how and when to use them.
Overall, Panda is a well-designed antivirus with user-friendly features and an intuitive dashboard. Experienced users will love that Panda has so many additional features, whereas beginner users will be happy that all of its tools are easy to access, understand, and use.
Panda Dome Mobile App
Panda has mobile apps for both iOS and Android — I tested them on my iPhone 8 and Samsung Galaxy 10.
The Panda iOS app is very basic — it’s not nearly as functional or feature-rich as most iOS antiviruses. The only features you get with Panda’s iOS app are:
- VPN.
- Parental controls.
- Device tracking tools.
- Password manager (separate app).
The app has a nice design, but the style doesn’t make up for the lack of substance. There are options to contact customer support and to view your account, but both options redirect you to the Panda website. The device location tracking was accurate, but overall I’d much rather use the Norton or TotalAV iOS apps.
However, the Android app is really good — it has an excellent real-time antivirus scanner that picked up on all of the malware that I purposely downloaded onto my device, and it has tons of features, including:
- Antivirus scanner. Scans all apps and files for malware.
- VPN. Limited to 150 MB/per day (there’s an option to upgrade to the premium version).
- Family tools. Parental controls, child tracking, and safe areas (optional upgrade).
- Anti-theft tools. Locate, lock, and wipe a device remotely. You can also sound an alert to help find a device and capture images of potential thieves.
- App lock. Secure apps with a PIN code.
- Privacy auditing. Assesses app permission, such as access to photos, contacts, and location data.
- Call blocker. Block unwanted calls.
The app also has smartwatch connectivity for Wear OS watches, which is found in other antivirus apps like Bitdefender’s mobile app. It lets you remotely sound an alarm from your Android when you go out of range from your device. It also allows you to take pictures on your Android using your smartwatch — something that Bitdefender’s app doesn’t offer.
Overall, there are much better iOS antivirus apps out there, but Panda’s Android app is actually pretty good, with a great antivirus scanner and tons of intuitive features.
Panda Dome Customer Support
Panda Dome’s customer support is one of the worst I’ve ever dealt with. They offer phone support, live chat, email support, an online knowledge base, and FAQ section, but they’re all pretty substandard. Live chat support is exclusive to the priciest plan, and even then, you’re likely to be kept waiting for minutes to get a response.
Email support is reserved for Panda Dome users only. You’ll have to take any pre-purchase inquiries to phone support, which isn’t exactly the most convenient way to get in touch with the support team.
Though the availability of phone support is good, the service was bad in my experience. Support is available 24/7 and there are local numbers in most markets, but the service is run by a third party. My experience with the phone support was terrible. The call initially goes through to the technical team, who seem to know a reasonable amount about computers in general, but very little about Panda’s specific products.
Unfortunately, my struggle with Panda’s customer support team didn’t end there. I had a number of queries about individual features that they couldn’t answer, so I was transferred to the sales team. The sales representative also couldn’t answer most of my questions and appeared to not have even heard of most of Panda’s own features, including the Rescue Kit, Data Shield, File Shredder, and more. He eventually offered to look into my questions and get back to me by email… and I never heard from him again.
The email support was equally disappointing. Firstly, it’s via a very long-winded and clunky online request form on Panda’s website. Secondly, the response to my query was very slow to come back, and when it did, none of my questions had been answered with any useful detail. Honestly, it seemed like the representatives didn’t really know what they were talking about, or that they couldn’t be bothered to answer my question properly — instead, they were just responding with FAQ links that didn’t fully answer my questions.
This means the knowledge base and FAQ section are your only resources for further information. The integrated search box helps locate relevant articles, but I don’t think the articles are detailed enough to answer some of the more trickier questions.
Panda Dome Premium customers have 24/7 premium customer support as part of their upgraded package. This includes premium tech support that provides remote access for troubleshooting and resolving all manner of issues on your PC. Although a useful service, you’d hope you wouldn’t need that level of support very often, so I personally don’t feel the higher cost is warranted. And frankly, the level of support isn’t even that good (even customers paying the most have to deal with third-party support).
Overall, I was extremely unimpressed with my customer support experience. I was disappointed to find that Panda doesn’t offer live chat to anyone except Premium customers. This is a real shame considering live chat is one of the most popular and useful types of customer support. However, for its email and phone support to also be so unhelpful is pretty shocking.
Is Panda Dome Worth the Money in 2023?
Panda Dome is a generally good antivirus and internet security suite. Its scanning engine worked well in my tests, blocking 100% of my spyware and ransomware samples and over 95% of the other malware samples I tested.
Panda also has tons of additional features, like:
- Real-time protection.
- Rescue Kit.
- File encryption and file shredding.
- Device optimization.
- Password manager.
- Parental controls.
- VPN.
- Dark web monitoring.
- And more…
My favorite feature by far is the Rescue Kit — something I think all PC users should consider when looking for an antivirus. I also like how Panda makes it really easy to encrypt and decrypt sensitive files as well as completely erase unwanted files containing private information using the file shredding tool.
However, I felt let down by the functionality of many additional features, including the VPN and web protection. The VPN was slow and not fully secure when I tested it. The web protection failed to block most of the phishing links that I tested it against — even very obvious phishing sites that were mimicking Amazon and PayPal login pages. And the customer service I received was particularly bad.
While the free version of Panda is decent, I think many of its premium packages are a bit expensive. Other brands like Norton and Bitdefender offer better protection, come with better quality features, cover more devices, and are either cheaper or similar prices, making them a far better value overall.
But you can try Panda out risk free and decide for yourself — all Panda Dome plans are available as 30-day free trials and are backed by 30-day money-back guarantees.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Panda Dome safe?
Panda Dome is 100% safe to use. It is a legitimate antivirus that comes from a highly reputable cybersecurity company. It uses advanced scanning technology to block the latest malware and cyberattacks. It’s designed to protect against the latest malware threats, including viruses, spyware, and ransomware.
It also includes a lot of other security features, including a password manager, file encryption tools, and a VPN.
Does Panda Dome work on Macs?
Yes, Panda does have a macOS version. It includes:
- Antivirus scanning.
- Web protection.
- Integrated VPN.
While I’m disappointed that Panda doesn’t offer more features for macOS, I still think it’s one of the best Mac antiviruses, especially if you’re looking for a simple, no-frills antivirus that you can install and forget about.
That said, if you want a full-featured Mac antivirus that provides complete protection against all types of malware and cybersecurity threats, you should try Intego.
Is Panda Dome good at detecting malware?
Panda’s antivirus scanning engine performed well in my malware tests, but it didn’t score a 100% detection rate in all instances. It did manage to:
- Detect over 95% of all of the non-executed malware sample files during a full system scan.
- Block 100% of the executed ransomware samples.
- Remove 100% of pre-installed spyware.
Panda’s separate cloud-based scanning tool, named “Panda Cloud Cleaner”, did provide a more advanced system scan — detecting deep-rooted suspicious files. But even when I tested it with the same folder of malware samples used in the original antivirus tests, it still didn’t detect some of the files.
Is Panda VPN safe to use?
Panda’s VPN is safe to use. It’s powered by the well-known VPN provider Hotspot Shield, and it secures your connection and protects your IP address from being tracked. Panda’s VPN also includes:
- A strict no-logs policy.
- 256-bit AES encryption.
- Multiple device support (up to 5 simultaneous connections).
However, when I tested the average speed of the VPN, it wasn’t particularly fast. It’s also limited in terms of server locations and functionality, and only on the most expensive Panda plan do you get unlimited browsing data and access to all of Panda’s worldwide servers.